As you may have gathered from many previous posts, I am a big fan of Molli Katzen's The Heart of the Plate. The vegetable-focused recipes are interesting and vibrant, with careful combinations of flavor and texture. But one thing the recipes aren't is fast: they tend to be suited more for weekends than for the full-time worker with a long commute and hunger pains that start kicking in at 4 pm.
Nevertheless, last Friday I decided to try a stroganoff recipe I've had my eye on, with mushrooms standing in for the beef and cabbage in lieu of noodles. The recipe featured lots of prep work--over two pounds of mushrooms to slice, three cups of chopped onion, breaking down a head of cabbage--but between Mike and I it seemed doable. We bought the ingredients on our weekly grocery shopping trip and looked forward to a mushroom-intensive dinner.
Then life intervened. Our primary car is a 2001 Toyota Prius Mike bought back in college, which has been an increasing source of contention in our marriage as my Scrooge-like frugality clashed with Mike's desire for operational air conditioning. After repairing the Prius' brakes in December (and lots of arguing), I finally agreed that it no longer made sense to continue to pour money into an increasingly decrepit car, and the next sign of trouble would be the end of the road. The end came on Friday morning, when the Prius refused to start, we were already running late, and a dusting of snow promised to snarl our commute. Luckily, we had a back up plan, in the form of the 2001 Dodge Intrepid I've been driving since high school. The driver's door unlocks only sporadically, the back is dented, the gas mileage is lousy, and it's a beast to park, but the engine is steadfastly reliable. We made it in to work, after a commute featuring lots of tears (me, because I tend to break down when initially confronted with major life changes), smartphone Google searches for used hybrids (Mike, who in contrast was feeling pretty gleeful), and a resolution to buy a newer used car as soon as possible.
So instead of spending Friday evening prepping ingredients together, I sliced up a giant mound of mushrooms alone while Mike jump started the Prius for the final time, in the hopes of driving it to a dealership for a trade-in. There are nights when cooking is something I do to unwind, when creating something delicious erases the problems of the day. Friday wasn't one of those nights. Mike came in from the garage to find me frantically wiping sour cream off the counter as a pot of barley boiled over for the fourth time, wailing about my stress level in adult-themed language.
But it all came together in the end, an almost meaty mushroom stew with a smoky, creamy sauce that saturated the cabbage. I was afraid that the "cabbage noodles" were some sort of diet gimmick, but they actually pair wonderfully with the mushrooms. The recipe calls for a dry white wine, and I used chardonnay. However, since there is so much depth to the stew from the mushroom juices, smoked paprika, and sour cream, I suspect you could use broth or water instead. I served this with a side of barley, but you could also mix some cooked egg noodles with the cabbage before serving, halushki-style. It's a lovely recipe, and one that I'm looking forward to cooking again--just not on a weeknight.
Adapted from The Heart of the Plate by Mollie Katzen
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 3 cups chopped onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3.5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 pounds white mushrooms, quartered
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 head green cabbage, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- black pepper, to taste
Heat Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter and tilt to evenly coat and melt butter. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add paprika and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Stir in shiitake mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes.
Stir in the white mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook until mushrooms have given up their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir until dissolved. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil cabbage in a stockpot until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and return cabbage to stockpot. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir until cabbage is evenly coated. Set aside and keep warm.
Stir the sour cream into the mushroom stew until melted. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes, and add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Season with black pepper to taste and add additional salt if desired.
Serve cabbage in bowls, topped with mushroom stew.
